Pluto Map Updated with Earlier, Lower-Resolution Imagery

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Image credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI.

An updated map of Pluto now includes lower-resolution imagery from earlier in New Horizons’ approach. “The map includes all resolved images of Pluto’s surface acquired between July 7-14, 2015, at pixel resolutions ranging from 18 miles (30 kilometers) on the Charon-facing hemisphere (left and right edges of the map) to 770 feet (235 meters) on the hemisphere facing New Horizons during the spacecraft’s closest approach on July 14, 2015 (map center). The non-encounter hemisphere was seen from much greater range and is, therefore, in far less detail.” See coverage from Universe Today and Wired (the latter has a nice loupe feature on the map).

NASA also released an elevation map of the area around Sputnik Planum (the left side of the heart-shaped feature).

Previously: New Maps of Ceres and Pluto.